A fine and rare early Ming carved red lacquer circular box and cover, China, early Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Photo Nagel Auktionen

The dark brown lacquered base incised with the Yongle six-character mark (1403-1425) and of the period. The cover is deeply carved on the top with two scholars in conversation seated on rocks on a terrace below a tall gnarled pine tree and close to a two-tiered pavilion. The ground is covered with very finely carved, thin and various diaper motifs for the terrace, water and air. The sides of the cover and box are equally deeply carved with a band of flowers of the four seasons on an ochre-yellow lacquer ground: camellia, peony, pomegranate and chrysanthemum; the inside and base are covered with dark brown lacquer. Apart from some few cracks at the cover and sides due to age and a tiny spot fallen off of the diaper ground on the top close to the roof of the pavilion the box is in fine condition; h.: 4,9 cm, diam.: 13,7 cm; old Japanese paulownia wood box with title label. Estimate 80 000 / 120 000 €

Provenance: Private collection, Rhineland, Germany, acquired at Christie's, London, 14-16 Dec. 1983, lot 7.

Compare: Sotheby's New York, 19. March 1997, lot 127, a much larger round box (diam.18,8 cm) with a similar décor of two scholars conversing on the terrace of a pavilion by a lake, two attendants carrying fruits and a third stands by the door, with a crane nearby, a pine tree in the centre, all against various diaper patterns for the terrace, water and air, the sides of the box and cover with matching flower scrolls of camellia, peony, pomegranate, chrysanthemum and rose against an ochre ground, a six-character Yongle reign mark incised in a vertical line on the left-hand side of the base and with further references.  

Christie's, Hong Kong, 28+29 Nov. 2005, lot 1537, a circular box of same size on the top with deeply carved red lacquer on a thin and various diaper ground with a similar and more elaborate décor of a scholar and his assistant standing on a terrace under a tall pine tree in front of a two-tiered pavilion admiring the landscape view. The sides are also covered with bands of flowers of the four seasons in thick red lacquer on a yellow ground, and the Yongle six-character mark is incised on the base, with discussion of the group of related Yongle-marked lacquer boxes carved with the similar theme depicting scholars in landscape and further references

Sotheby's London, 12. Mai 2010, lot 85, a much smaller round box (diam. 8 cm) with a similar décor, a scholar seated with an attendant in a fenced garden under a pine tree and deeply carved flowers on the sides, dated to the Hongwu (1368-1398) / Yongle (1403-1424) era, also with further references.

Nagel Auktionen. Asian Art, 2013/05/10. http://www.auction.de